Swing-rail switch



Oct. 13, 1931. w. E. McELDowNEY SWING RAIL SWITCH 2 4mm ma fo-MMM v l l VmlLimiLn-V Il Il Filed Aug. 5. 1929 Patented ct. 1.3, 1931; l

i UNITED STAT 'S- WILBER E. McELnownEY, `or DENVnacoLoRnno c i IsWING-RAIL SWITCH" v. applicati@niiezinagiia.5,19,29. serviaino. ssa-137.', y

My invention relates'to: swing-rail switches for railway tracks.. A' principal object is to provide efficient and positiveactuating means for ay swing-rail switch, the ends ofwhich; wing an unequalamount, and to kprovide means 'for locking same operating positions. v

Another object is to provide rotary holding means for the swing-rail, which will yfirmly in either of itsftwo 10. hold the rail against lateral displacement, butv allow longitudinal movement underk stress and during expansion and contraction' ofthe rail. Y ,u

Still other objectsresidein novel details of construction andin novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more'fully appear in the course of the following detailed description.. e, y

Inthe drawings likefreference charactersy designatesimilar parts in the .severalviewsL Figure .-1 is a plan viewr ofV a swing-rail switch embodying thefforegoing objects.

Figure 2'is an` elevation ofthe switch looking `inl the direction of theV arrow A, of zrFigurel@v M V` y Figures is an enlarged section'taken on the line 3 3 of'Figurel. t

Figure 4 is an .enlarged section taken on thekline4-4 of Figure-1. i* 30 y VReferring more specifically to the drawings, the reference numeral 5 designates the base plate upon which the switchrests. y

Rails 6 and 7 leading to the switch are spaced'apart and a wedge-shaped filler block 8 is disposedl between these rails. The end face ofthe filler block nearest the switch' has sockets 9 for lock bolts'on the vswitch-rail,

hereinafter tofbe described. Y I

Stop members 10 'and l12 are respectively fastened to the sides of the rails 6 and 7 by bolts llthat/ pass through the rails 6 and 7, the iiller block, andthe stop members 10 and 12 2 i Rails 14 Aand Y15 leadingto' the switch at the opposite end are tapered'o' on adjacent sides', as isy common in switches, and tted together. Asocketl? is provided between Vthe rails to hold lock bolts on thefswitch rail, hereinafter to be described;V

Stopmembers 18 and 19 are fastened on opposite sides of the rails 14 and 15.v .Bolts 16v pass through the stop membersy 18 and 19 and the rails 14 and 15 vto fasten same together. j

The numeral 2O designates-the swing rail itself. The pivotal point ofthe rail'is indicated at 21. The means for'holding the rail inpositionV while it is being' swungy aroundy this point isv as follows:

A seat 22 is usually provided toraise the height 'of the rail to'equal .that ofthe incoming railswhere the latter are raised. Lipped gibs 23 have their lips placed over the flanges" of theraily to Vhold the latter against its seat. The side of the gib'next to the rail is straight, while the opposite edgefis arcuate to fit in a keeper 24 that hasa similarly shaped side.l A bearing block or ykeeper 24 is provided vfor each gib on either side ofthe 'raill 4 Y yThe keepers are fastenedto the basey 'plate by bolts 25. Bolts -26between`the bolts 25 also pass through the leepersiandprovide shafts for rollers 46 rotatably-supported "on the keepers., z k v Preferably near the endof the rail 20 hav- 'ing the longest swing, the rail rests in a chair 27. The chairhasv a passage the shape of the web and flangesvof arail, so'thata rail is easilyk inserted Ytlrirough the passage andthus seated inthe chair. @The chair has grooves 28 adjacent to fand oneither side of the rail for the aforementionedglock bolts.

' The Chair carries rollers 29 at opposite sides of the rail.y Vertical stub shafts "80 for the rollers are vertically disposed vinthechair, whereby the rollers are made to rotate in a horizontal plane. K' Y p' Cams 31 and 31a are pivotally mounted on supports 82 on the base plate. The cams are arranged to engage thev rollers 28 continuouslyirrespective of theposition of the swingrail. Connecting bars 33 and 134 are used 't0 connectithe cams with operating means hereinafter. tobe described.. These bars contact withthe` rollers 46,' which preventsidewise movement-of the `bars and' allow same to slide easily. Links connect bosses 44 on the cams 31 and 31d with the barsl r'and `34 respecjtively Brackets 36 and 37 respectively mounted on the bars 33 and 34 carry lock bolts 38 and 39 that move in the recesses 23. rIhe bars extend toward the opposite end of the swing-rail, and near such ends carry brackets 40 and 41. These brackets in turn carry and operate lock bolts 42 and 43.

Any suitable operating means may be provided for the bars 33 and 34. The means shown comprises a yoke 45 extending under the base plate and pivotally mounted on a bolt 46 that extends through the seat 22 and base plate 5, arms 47 connecting the yoke witl the bars 33 and 34, rigid arms 48 on trie yoke, and rods 49 connecting the arms 43 with any conventional means tothrow the switch.

In the operation of the present switch, the cams 31 and 31a move-the switch rail laterally from one position to the other about the pivotal axis 2l. The gibs turn in their keepersto allow the rail to rotate when the switch is thrown. The gibs, however, allow longitudinafl` movement of the rail. 'Ihus when wheels of a railway car strike the switch rail, the end of the switch rail'is driven against the end of the abutting rail.

Heretofore, it has been suggested to rotate a switch swing rail about a king pin, which prevents longitudinal displacement of the rail. This king pin must, in such a construction, bear the endwise thrust ot the swing rail. By the present construction this thrust is absorbed by an abutting rail, as explained.

In the position shown in Figure l, the bolt 38 has been pushed home into the recess 9 nearest the stop l2 and the bolt 43, which is at the opposite end and on the opposite side of the swing rail, has been pushed home in the recess 17. Y

Then the switch is throwm the Operating means moves the bars 33 and 34 in opposite directions. The iirst portion of the movement of these bars withdraws the bolts 33 and 43 from their recesses, without any lateralv movementoi" the swing rail.

lWhile any movement of the bars 33 and 34 rotates the cams, the iirst portion of this movement, while the bolts are being removed, does not move the swing rail. This is due to the tact that the ends of the cam 'aces describe small arcs with the pivot of the cam as a center.

lVhile the rollers 29 are riding on these small arcs of the cams, no motion is transmitted to the rail. However, as rotation of the cams continues, the inclined-faces et' same engage the rollers. @ne cam moves therrail laterally while the other makes room ytor the advancing rail. In this mann-er, the cams continuously in contact with the rollers 29 throughout the throwing of the switch.

Vhen the rail has reached the position opposite to that shown in Figure l; i. e., the rail is in contact with the stops l0 and 19, the final movement of the bars 33 andy 34 pushes the bolt 39 into the recess 9 nearest the stop 10 and the bolt 42 into the recess 17. The switch rail is then iirmly locked in position. The reverse movement of this operation is believed apparent from the foregoing descriptio-n.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a swing-rail switch, a swing rail, means to prevent vertical displacement of the rail during swinging, comprising a member in contact with the rail and a relatively iixed bearing block keeping the member in position, the member and block having adjoining arcuate surfaces for rotary movementot the member in and relative to the block.

2. In a swing-rail switch,r a swing rail, gibs at either side of the rail having lips extencing over the flange thereotl and having an arcuate edge, a bearing block having a complementary arcuate edge engaging said edge of the gib, means holding the block in a fixed position, and mechanism to swing the rail and the accompanying gibs the gib and block being in engagement during such swinging motion.

3. In a swing-rail switch, a swing rail, rollers on the rail, cams disposed tov hear against the rollers and swing the raily in opposite directions, and means to operate the cams. p

4. In a swing-rail switch, av swing rail, cams disposed to swing' the rail in opposite directions, and means to operate the cams, including sliding bars and pivoted links connecting the bars with the cams.

5. In a swing-rail switch, a swing rail, rollers on the` rail, rotary cams contacting with the rollers and disposed to swing the rail in opposite directions, `and meansr tol rotate the cams, including sliding bars having link connections with the cams.

6. In a swing-rail switch, a swing rail, a chair for the rail, rollers on the chair, cam means contacting with the rollers to swing the rail in opposite directions, and means to operate the cams.

7. In a swing-rail switch, a base plate, a chair on thek plate, a rail in the chair mounted to swing about a pivotal axis, rollers on` the chair,grotary cams pivotally mounted on the plate to engage therollers continuously during rotation of the cams, and means to rotate the cams. y

8. In a swing-rail switch, a swing rail, a lock tor the rail, means including a cam to swing the rail, and mechanism to operate the cam at the time of operation of the lock, the face of the cam having non-actuating portions, whereby the rail Vwill not be moved while the lock is being-operated.

9. In a swing-railV switch, a swing rail, a lock for the rail, mechanism, t0 operate the lock, and cam means, disposed to swingthe rail, operated by said mechanism.

lO. In a swing-rail switch, al swing rail, a

lock for the rail, mechanism to operate the lock, and rotary cam means disposed to swing the rail, the mechanism having a connection with and thereby operating said cam means.

ll; In a swing-rail switch, a swing rail, a lock for the rail, a sliding bar operating said lock, and cam means disposed to swing the rail, operated by the'sliding' bar.v n

l2. In a swing-rail switch, a swing rail, a

Vrotary support for the rail, sliding means for locking the rail in position, and rollers on the support disposed to guide the sliding means. p

13. In a swing rail switch, a swing rail having a contact member, cam means to swing the rail disposed to have a sliding Contact with said member, and mechanism to operate the cam means. Y

14. In a swing rail switch, a swing rail, a lock for the swing rail, cam means for moving the swing rail in opposite directions, and sliding means connected to operate the lock and said meansbya single sliding movement.

In testimony whereof I have afxed my signature. v

WILBER MGELDOWNEY. 

